HS FOOTBALL: Lee sputters in loss to Odessa High

By Len Hayward | lhayward@mrt.com

Published 6:49 pm, Friday, October 17, 2014

Photo: Mark Sterkel|Odessa American

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Odessa High's Raymond Rodriguez (77) and Hector Montoya (35) stop Midland Lee quarterback Wesley Hall (15) for a loss during the second quarter of their district football game Friday at Ratliff Stadium.

Odessa High's Raymond Rodriguez (77) and Hector Montoya (35) stop Midland Lee quarterback Wesley Hall (15) for a loss during the second quarter of their district football game Friday at Ratliff Stadium.

Photo: Mark Sterkel|Odessa American

HS FOOTBALL: Lee sputters in loss to Odessa High

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ODESSA -- Odessa High didn’t break off any big plays for scores against Lee on Friday.

But the Bronchos broke out to an early lead and then held it the rest of the game as Lee’s offense couldn’t come up with the needed touchdowns and the defense never made the stop it needed in a 21-10 OHS victory at Ratliff Stadium. In simple terms it was how much of Lee’s season has gone.

The Rebels had their chances throughout the night, including recovering an onside kick in the second half. But Lee didn’t take advantage and was never able to close the gap on OHS for much of the game.

It was Lee’s sixth straight loss, but more importantly the Rebels (1-6 overall) are in an 0-2 hole in District 3-6A and wondering what they have to do to get a win.

“It’s key moments,” Lee coach James Morton said. “Right before the half we have a chance to go in with some momentum, and then to start the second half on the special teams, and we don’t convert.”

The Bronchos (3-4, 1-1) held a 14-7 lead at halftime but Lee found some momentum early in the third quarter. The Rebels put together a solid drive and cut the lead to 14-10 after a 20-yard Brady Roper field goal. And then Morton gambled with an onside kick and it worked as Dedrick Strambler grabbed the ball out of the air, setting Lee up at the OHS 49-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

But Lee couldn’t convert on the opportunity as Wesley Hall was intercepted by Isaiah Garcia three plays later.

The Bronchos then took advantage of the turnover, marching 52 yards in 11 plays and ended when Dwayne Amayow snatched a 13-yard TD pass with 3:19 remaining in the third.

OHS had 234 yards of total offense as Sebastian Galindo rushed for 160 yards on 34 carries and had a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs. Quarterback Nick Adams was 10-of-13 yards for 153 yards.

“This being a crucial game and not wanting to get into a 0-2 situation, we had our backs against the wall and I like how they responded,” OHS coach Ron King said. “They ought to have some confidence going forward but they also need to continue to improve if they want to get into the playoffs.”

Lee drove into OHS territory in the fourth quarter still with a chance to cut the lead but were stopped on fourth down. Lee had 269 total yards as quarterback Wesley Hall rushed for 146 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown run, on 20 carries. Lee running back Aron Dobbins, meanwhile, was held to 26 yards on 14 carries.

“The key to the whole game was up front on offense, they controlled us and didn’t ever allow us to get in sync with our run game,” Morton said. “We were in search of that. Defensively in the first half, it was third downs. We had our chances to make plays, it was not complicated routes or schemes, but they just executed and did a better job than we did.”

Odessa High broke out of the gate with two 75-yard scoring drives in the first half that put Lee on its heels early.

The first drive took just under five minutes and Galindo completed it with a 1-yard run with 7:41 left in the first quarter. Five minutes later, the Bronchos again put together a 75-yard drive which was again capped by a 1-yard Galindo run with 2:18 remaining in the game.

In between, the Bronchos had a muffed punt that Lee took advantage of, as Lee quarterback Wesley Hall broke off a 47-yard run one play after the change of possession with 5:30 left in the first quarter.

Neither team, though, scored in the second quarter as OHS had a field goal go short with just over five minutes left, and then Lee had a field goal blocked at the end of the half to keep the score at 14-7.